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Breaking in a new engine, have question

SleeperGS

New member
New bearings, rods, rings, the whole works. Going to run 'el cheepo' oil for the first 500 miles to allow rings and everything to seat, and change the filter. Repeat for another 500 and then put castrol gtx semi-synthetic in it. Car has a 3800 tune in it now. I have added ported heads/exhaust and sx1 cam. All NEW sensors. Will the car run long enough and safetly with that tune? Will it even start for that matter. The reason why I am asking, is because I dont want to buy a new computer just so I can drive it to columbus where INTENSE is(i live in Cincinnati, 2 hour drive) just to have it dyno'ed for another $300. I dont want to just trailer it up there without letting the motor break in properly; having said that, I would like to make sure that there are no problems/leaks etc, before I take it to them and look like an idiot and have them be the ones to start it for the the first time and find a leak or something. Plus I want it broke in with a 1000 miles or so before I have it dynoed. Im going to run a 3.4 until I get a 1000 miles on it. Any thought, as always, are greatly apprecitated. I cant wait to feel and hear teh cam heads and all the work that has went into this.
Kevin
 


id put a bigger pulley on for the time being. then put the 3.4 on when you go to dyno it. why dont you call and ask john what the best thing to do would be?
 
^^ X2 with the bigger pulley.
You shouldn't risk knock or detonation on a fresh rebuild until it's broken in.
 
I have a 3.8 pulley, will the car start okay the way it is now? and be safe... just for the break in. I'm not running at the track racing
 


You'll be ok with the stock tune, you'll be taking it easy anyways for the brake in. Do you have a scanner or scan gauge to keep an eye on things?

You'd probably be fine with a 3.6 with those flow mods but if you have the 3.8 toss it on there.
 
I'm actually using cheap advanced auto parts or oil, for the first 1000 miles and then I am using Castrol
 
I run my engines on Penzoil mineral based and a Bosch filter for 100 miles and then go directly to Mobil 1 synthetic and filter.
 
I use castrol GTX semi, i have had luck with it and its easy to find anywhere. I will use the old tune, and the 3.8 for the first 1000 miles or so, then I will just drive it to Intense instead of trailering it. Will this throw any codes?
 


I would go ahead and make sure the 3.8" pulley is on the car, until you get ready to get it tuned. For the first few hundred miles, I wouldn't run the s/c belt, so that you won't see any boost. Also, why run "el cheapo oil" when you just spent that much getting the engine built? I'd go ahead and grab some break in oil, drive the 200-300 miles on that, then swap out to whatever oil you prefer.
 
I usually use what ever oil and filter is on sale for the first 500 miles or so then change it to mobile 1 now. However I've never had rebuilt engine to break in, if I did I would use break in oil.
 
when growing up we always had a saying, after a rebuild it was either go or blow, so just nail it!

of course we didn't have a pcm to tune, you tune it yourself with a timing light and re jet the carb as needed, but you get the point.
 


I may pick up some lucas break in oil to put in from the get go. It has zzdp in it for flat tappet cams, but since ours is a full roller motor, it wont hurt it.
 
when growing up we always had a saying, after a rebuild it was either go or blow, so just nail it!

of course we didn't have a pcm to tune, you tune it yourself with a timing light and re jet the carb as needed, but you get the point.

This.

We put a new motor in my buddys S10, let it idle for a min to get the oil around and just hammered on it. Revved it to the moon a couple times to make sure its all working, sure did smoke up the shop but everything worked great. Once he got it on the road he did the same thing, just beat on it because if its going to blow up it will.
 
I have to much money to do that lol, but i will add the break in oil with zzdp, let it idle at about 1500-2500 rpms for about a half hour or so, then drive it for a 1000 or so, then get it up to intense. Then off to Edgewater
 
This.

We put a new motor in my buddys S10, let it idle for a min to get the oil around and just hammered on it. Revved it to the moon a couple times to make sure its all working, sure did smoke up the shop but everything worked great. Once he got it on the road he did the same thing, just beat on it because if its going to blow up it will.


there's nothing like the smell of assembly lube out the tail pipes in the morning lol
 
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